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Embers of the Old Fire, Part III
Primary Landing Bay - ISD Redoubtable ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In this massive chamber carved in the belly of the star destroyer, dozens of TIE fighters with their hexagonal wing panels and bulbous cockpits are suspended from containment racking berths that hang over the gaping maw below that opens onto outer space. Other craft berthing areas are used for TIE bombers and Lambda shuttles and troop transports. Another is set aside for a complement of lumbering elephantine AT-AT walkers and chicken-like AT-ST walkers. This chamber also contains the generator and directable turret for the star destroyer's tractor beam, for drawing in pirates, smugglers and other scum. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Sun Dec 01 23:18:42 2493 This Ship is iCON enabled The artificial lighting system has been adjusted to the dimmer night setting. Darth Vader strides into the landing bay, followed by his stormtrooper escorts. Pilots, officers, and engineers alike snap to attention as the Sith Lord passes, eyes ahead and full of fearful respect. Teal, however, does not. She's hanging half in and half out of a TIE/In's cockpit. The Dark Lord stops near the lowering ramp of the Redoubtable shuttle, then addresses a deck officer: "Assign a TIE pilot to escort my shuttle to the surface. Immediately." The troopers following Vader pass him, their footsteps not quite matching time with the hiss of his breather. "Yes, Lord Vader," the officer stammers. He turns, hurries towards the nearest pilot - who happens to be the still oblivious Teal - and addresses her: "Ensign Teal, /what/ are you doing? Get your feet on the deck!" A hollow 'thump' when Teal lands. "What's the problem, sir?" They engage in a short, hushed conversation, Teal's eyes going wide when she looks over the officer's shoulder and spies Vader himself, black cape and all. She nods quickly and clambers into her cockpit, readying for launch. "Lord Vader, Ensign Teal will escort you to the surface." The officer's report is accompanied by a sharp salute. Darth Vader nods his helmet, but says nothing further, his cape billowing behind him as he follows the troopers up the ramp into the Redoubtable's shuttle. Minutes later... > Redoubtable Shuttle 02 drops out of the primary hangar bay of the Redoubtable, the uptilted wings dropping into the familiar spaceborn Y-formation as it angles around toward Tatooine. Thrusters flare as the Lambda boosts away from the star destroyer. 8537 - TIE/In Alpha 4 slips effortlessly from the hangar's embrace, ion engines burning blue as it sweeps into position near the Lambda's starboard wing. The quick, maneuverable craft paces the more cumbersome shuttle easily. > Redoubtable Shuttle 02 closes on Tatooine, red and green wingtip telltale lights blinking steadily as the Lambda shuttle marks its trajectory toward the desert city of Mos Eisley. 8537 - TIE/In Alpha 4 follows suit, her pilot keeping the sharp little fighter tucked in close like a bird under its mother's wing. A short time later... Landing Pad - Spaceport - Tatooine ........................................................................... You are standing in a massive open space that takes up most of the area of the spaceport. Cut into the side of the dome at an angle that is not quite directly overhead is a huge opening through which ships arrive and depart. At any given time, the roar of an engine can be heard as another ship takes off or lands. Nestled in the partial shadow of the sides of the dome are the various landing bays, many with beat-up looking ships resting in them, surrounded by refueling and repair equipment. Each landing bay is separated from the others by two walls that jut outward toward the landing pad. The ships that are berthed here are not the sleek models that you'll see in most spaceports in the Empire, but rather are beat-up looking freighters and transports, most showing the signs of heavy modification. It's a safe bet that most are pirates or smugglers in the service of the Hutts. ........................................................................... Sun Dec 01 23:19:42 2493 The ramp descends from the Lambda shuttle, its wings now upturned again. Down the ramp come the stormtroopers, followed by the looming shadow of the Dark Lord of the Sith. His cape billows in the desert wind as his boots touch the gritty surface of the docking bay. He looks toward the TIE pilot and then the stormtroopers: "Come with me." He then strides off, breather hissing, toward customs. Teal pulls her black helmet off and shakes her hair out in the dry, dust-stained air. She nods, tucks her helm under one arm, and falls into step with the rest of the cadre. Strangely, she doesn't seem as nervous of Vader as the Redoubtable's deck crew. Customs - Spaceport - Tatooine ........................................................................... Ostensibly, this area is designated for customs searches to ensure that no illegal substances come in or out of Tatooine. The customs employees, however, are on the payroll of the Hutts, and sit at their stations making no effort to search any of the arrivals or departures except in the rare instances that imperial patrols stop by for an inspection. Most of the time, a wide variety of humans and aliens, most of them dangerous and all of them armed, travel to and from the landing pad unimpeded. The occasional rumble of a ship's engines can be heard over the din of the crowd. ........................................................................... Sun Dec 01 23:30:05 2493 Saati stands near one of the customs stations currently being used by Imperial troops. She is reviewing a couple of datapadds, but looks up at Vader's arrival. She has her usual unhappy appearance. Darth Vader strides into the customs area, followed by a squad of stormtroopers and a single TIE fighter pilot. His breather hisses and his cape flares behind him as he walks. Sighting the Moff, the Dark Lord approaches and then stops within a few feet of her. "The Emperor is most displeased." Somberness seems to be today's theme. Everything is monochrome - the stormtroopers, Vader, Moff Saati, and even Teal. It would be nearly impossible to tell that Teal is a woman beneath her standard issue black TIE pilot's jumpsuit, but her helmet is under one arm rather than over her head, so her face is clearly female. She follows the stormtroopers, she and them halting as one when Vader addresses the Moff. Saati holds the datapadds idly at her side, her other hand resting on her hip as she regards you a moment, "I was not the one on the Redoubtable who failed to stop their shuttle ... twice, Lord Vader." She continues to speak as she sets the datapadds down, "Did you give the Redoubtable the order not to use deadly force if necessary?" Darth Vader lifts his helmet slightly. "I gave no such order," the Dark Lord intones. He points at Saati with a gauntleted hand: "And I would hesitate to cast blame, were I you, Saati. If your troops had performed competently in the Jundland Wastes, we would have those Jedi imprisoned at this hour." His breather hisses, and he then adds: "I will deal soon enough with the duty officer who failed to stop the second shuttle." The Moff nods at that, "I certainly hope so. I have certainly underestimated Obi-Wan and Yoda for the last time. That is a lesson I should have learned long ago." She looks away a moment before continuing, "We are now no closer than before. And ... there is another matter which must be spoken of. But I would speak to you alone concerning it." Teal stands at attention, spine straight, as if she was a member of Vader's own personal vanguard. Her eyes are focused straight ahead, but her ears... The Sith Lord turns toward Teal and the stormtrooper squad. "Report to the Imperial garrison. Inform the men that I will arrive directly." Saati waits for those with Vader to head away, she then begins to walk away from the customs desk to give Vader and her more privacy as well, waiting for him to follow. Teal nods and salutes in tandem with the stormtroopers: "Yes, Lord Vader." All turn as one, Teal leading, to carry out their orders. Darth Vader watches the departing Imperial personnel, breather hissing, and then turns to walk toward Saati. In one shadowy corner of the busy customs area, Moff Saati stands waiting as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, arrives to speak privately with her. A squad of stormtroopers and a pilot just went marching out. The others gathered here certainly take some interest in the two Imperial brass conversing - but wisely steer clear. Saati speaks too quietly with Lord Vader for any to overheard, getting fairly close to him as she does so. Probably more than she is comfortable with, but from the look on her face it is something most important...Saati whispers to Darth Vader and Darth Vader: "Obi-Wan kidnapped one of my men. Sergeant Mizael ... it became obvious to me and I could sense that it was because this Stormtrooper apparents has sensitivity to the Force. Why I had not sensed it before I cannot say. Something was masking it ... he has been in your presence as well a number of times and has gone unnoticed." Darth Vader draws back as he considers what the Moff has said. He puts his fists on his hips. "Perhaps, Moff Saati, it is because we had no reason to search that deeply." His breather hisses through the silence before he concludes: "You must report this to the Emperor yourself." The distinctive tendrils of smoke preclude Bowie's entrance to the customs area. He's peering around for someone, and a sharp, vaguely disgusted sigh is forced from him as that someone doesn't seem to be here. However, the squad of Stormtroopers might well be interesting enough, and so, his attention renewed, he glances around the area for any likely source of the squadron, flicking a stray bit of ash off his cigarra as he does so. Saati nods her head, "As you wish, Lord Vader. But what of the search for out fugitives. What is your next step?" She sounds sincerely curious and for once isn't needling you ... or it seems that way. "If they have taken him for the reason you suggest, then it would appear they are trying to re-ignite the long-dead flame of the Jedi," Vader intones, lightsaber clicking against his armored hip. "They are old. They are weak. But, as you have seen, they are not to be underestimated. We must hunt them down and destroy them. Extinguish the embers before they can burn anew." Saati nods, "Agreed. I will relay this information to the Emperor. I will see what he has to say concerning this search." She looks away, silver brows furrowing as she looks concerned. Speaking of embers, that cigarra's still blazing as Bowie's glance finally settles on the probable source of the previous falling-out of soldiers: The Moff and the black-clad figure with her. He sucks in a breath upon the cigarra, and inches closer simultaneously to the customs queue and the pair of conversants. His interest clearly isn't in their conversation, but once again in the cigarra. He scowls at it as if it's somehow wronged him, plucking it from his mouth and inspecting it as he moves to file in line with the other folks waiting to get through customs. "You will require a shuttle, I suspect," the Dark Lord observes through hisses of his breather. "You may borrow mine. I expect it to return intact." Saati nods, "I will leave at once. Are there any other messages for the Emperor?" A fingernail peeling absently at the cigarra, Bowie manages to wreck it, accidentally ripping a bit of the herb-surrounding paper. He rolls his eyes at that, and moves to step out of line from the customs queue, further fiddling with the cigarra and leaning against the wall as he does so, apparently intent on fixing this situation before he passes through towards the landing bays. "Inform him that our search for the Jedi will be relentless," Vader replies to the Moff. "Farewell, Saati." He then turns, cape billowing, and strides toward the grungy sprawl of Mos Eisley. Saati heads the other way to the landing bay. They've split up, and that leaves Bowie with one real option - he can't very well tail Saati without bypassing the lines as she did, so he decides to instead head after the black figure. He follows at a good distance, of course, and he's still from all appearances preoccupied with the cigarra, but he's aware enough that a small amount of fancy footwork sends him darting past an oncoming furry obstacle of a Bothan. Spaceport - Tatooine ........................................................................... This is the beating heart of Mos Eisley, and the only large spaceport on Tatooine. It is a massive domed complex that looms above the rest of the city, and is nearly always crowded. Directly ahead is the small customs station, which does not appear to be slowing down the various arrivals and departures that move toward the various landing bays. ........................................................................... Mon Dec 02 00:10:00 2493 Darth Vader walks through the spaceport, each step one of confidence and self-assurance. His cape flows behind him. The myriad sentients make way, as if he's a speeder kicking out a wake of air that blows sand to either side. Bowie can't pay attention to both Vader and the cigarra. He drops the latter, crushing it with a booted foot. Fortunately, Vader's black cape makes a rather easy marker for him to follow - and the fact that he leaves a wake doesn't exactly hurt, either. Doing his best to keep the inky figure in sight, he all but ricochets off fellow passersby. It's a miracle that he doesn't, in fact, bump into someone. Up until now, at least. Vader suddenly comes up short, stopping near the middle of the spaceport. He turns, visored mask directed toward the man tracking him. And he starts walking toward Bowie. Bowie wasn't tracking Vader. Or, at least, that's what he tries to make it look like. He actually turns his back on Vader, moving to scoop up the crumpled cigarra from the ground, his jacket jingling as he does so, the sharp movement having unsettled the metallic 'decorations'. If there ever were a time to hurry up, now would be it, and once Bowie's grabbed the cigarra from where he's dropped it, he's moving once more - not too quickly. Running would attract attention. But he's certainly not wasting time, either. Darth Vader continues to walk in Bowie's direction. He keeps him in line of sight, and raises a gauntleted hand, fingers splayed, toward the man's back. "Turn around," he intones, "and stop." At the command, Bowie's hand involuntarily clenches around the cigarra. It's still somewhat hot, and that brings a wince and a quick flinging-away of the thing, a curse following it as it arcs to the ground. His better hand shoves in his hair as he attempts to look casual - and, of course, fails utterly. An apologetic grin follows the failed attempt, and his eyes flick to the demarcated exits, as if to ensure that they are still there and accessible, at least theoretically. "Who are you?" the Sith Lord inquires, getting closer, closer and closer to Bowie - until his dark, helmeted form is fairly looming over him. He points a gauntleted finger at the man. "And why are you following me?" "I wasn't. I wanted to ask you a question." At least Bowie's voice is easier than his movements. He glances at the black mask, explaining, "My friend was there at the spaceport when the quarantine order was issued, but... we haven't been checked out. So I figured why not go right to the source?" He quirks a grin, or at least tries to. "Nobody's said any symptoms of this contagion. My friend said that you were the one who gave the order." The question to be drawn from those statements is more than obvious, and so the fellow doesn't bother to say it. Darth Vader puts his fists on his hips. "The quarantine will soon be lifted. However, if I find you following me again, I will be less...courteous." Bowie's glance isn't on Vader anymore. It's moved towards the nearest exit. He nods distractedly towards Vader, managing to murmur a halfhearted, "Of course, I understand," towards the Sith. "But... what if I get sick before the quarantine's lifted? There have been no innoculations, no vaccinations." He adds, in a manner clearly intended to be smooth - and clearly anything but, "Far be it from me, of course, to question orders, but... it doesn't fit. And, since I'm going to be employed in the service of the Empire, I'd like things to do that." He pauses a moment, and then explains monosyllabically: "Fit, that is." "I have no idea who you are or what service you think you can provide to the Empire," the Dark Lord replies, breather hissing. "But you would do well to question less, and follow orders more. The quarantine will soon be lifted. That should be adequate for your purposes." "Bowen Vannell," Bowie responds. A hand actually extends for a shake towards Vader, but he thinks better of it moments later. That hand drops unceremoniously to his side, and the only other greeting he can think of is a brief, slight dip of the head meant to approximate a bow. "I have followed orders," he responds, a bit flatly. "I just thought I should ask the question, so things were... clear. If I've offended you, I am sorry." He looks to one side, then to the other, and something about the audience the pair have no doubt garnered makes him almost grin. Almost. He has to chew on his lip not to. "If you had offended me, Bowen Vannell, you would be quite sure of it," Vader says. "Heed my warning. It will not be given a second time." He then turns and makes his way toward the city again, cape billowing behind him as he walks. Bowie's smile drops. "I'm sure I would," he mutters behind Vader's back. Shaking his head, he continues, "And receive no straight answers then, either, no doubt." He moves to retrieve the cigarra as Vader steps away, at least having the decency not to be a litterbug. Vader proceeds to the outpost in the city... Imperial Outpost - Tatooine ........................................................................... This small outpost is one of the few imperial presences on Tatooine. Merely a formality on a world that remains unofficially ruled by Jabba the Hutt, the outpost serves as little more than a barracks area and armory for the small contingent of stormtroopers based here. For the most part, they remain in the outpost, leaving the residents of Mos Eisley to kill and rob each other in peace, but occasionally they will sweep through the city, making minor arrests to prove that the Empire does, in fact, dominate even this least of worlds. ........................................................................... Mon Dec 02 00:47:46 2493 Rows of shining white armor greet Vader as he arrives - the garrison's compliment of stormtroopers stand in perfect attention, blaster rifles in hand. Many of the trooper's armors are dust-stained or otherwise dirtied but, overall, the display is exemplary, especially considering this backwater world. The garrison's commander stands ready, uniform spotless, flanked by his second in command at his right side, Teal at his left. All pay homage as one - the 'snap' of boot heels and salutes is truly satisfying. "Lord Vader," the commanding officer intones with a nod and a nervous swallow. "Welcome to Tatooine." Veb seeing the contingent come in hurriedly rises from his seat and then down on one knee. He stares at the floor his head bowed. Darth Vader stares down at the garrison officer. "Spare me your courtesies, Commander. This platoon's utter failure in the Jundland Wastes last night smacks of unrivaled incompetence. An old man. An older cohort. All made quick work of your troops and the theft of a Lambda class shuttle. The Emperor has little tolerance for failure of this magnitude." The officer opens his mouth. Closes his mouth. Finally, finding nothing to say, he merely bows his head in silence. "My apologies, Lord Vader," he manages after a pause to collect himself. "Despite my best efforts ... I have failed the Emperor and the Empire." He swallows again before continuing, "I beg forgiveness, Lord Vader. It will not happen again." "I will allow you to live, Commander," the Dark Lord replies, "but only because it was not you who coordinated the attack. That burden falls solely on the shoulders of Moff Saati, and she will face her own consequences before the Emperor himself." His breather hisses, and then he continues, pointing at the commander. "But redouble your efforts in training your men. We face a new, insidious threat. As the incident in the wastes made all too clear, it will require more than we have expected from our troops." Veb continues to kneel with his head bowed, staring at the floor. The commander breathes a sigh of relief - he had looked as if he was on the verge of fainting, skin pale, sweat beading on his forehead. He takes a breath to steady himself. "Rest assured that my men and I will redouble our training regimen and our efforts, Lord Vader." The commander snaps a salute. "As I said, we will not fail again. I will make certain of that." Breather hissing, the Dark Lord tilts his helmet downward in acknowledgement, and then says, "One day of liberty is granted to your garrison. Then they must complete the original mission: Find that missing computer and determine the status of our Kubaz informant, Garindan." Cape billowing behind him, Vader turns and strides away. Darth Vader is currently walking away from the assembled troopers, the garrison commander and the TIE fighter pilot, cape billowing behind him as he goes. The commander drops his salute and stands at attention as Vader turns away with a swirl of black cloth. "Consider it done, Lord Vader," he says to the departing lord's back. The tension, which was thick enough to cut, immediately begins to settle and fade. Teal, the TIE pilot, excuses herself and follows in Vader's footsteps. She is, after all, his escort. Dylar yawns as he gets up from his bunk and looks around tiredly, taking a moment to look about his surroundings. Main Square - Tatooine ........................................................................... This busy square is the center of much activity in Mos Eisley. The street, like elsewhere in the city, is made of sand, only slightly more compressed than out in the open desert, and it is travelled by a variety of vehicles, from rundown speeders to ancient-looking carts towed by domesticated dewbacks or banthas. A wide variety of humans and aliens travel through the square, many of them with their faces obscured by hoods or heavy wrappings to protect them from the blazing twin suns. Rows of white concrete buildings line the street, displaying the curved, dome-like architecture that is prevalent over much of the planet, and as elsewhere on Tatooine it seems that many of the buildings extend mostly underground to avoid the desert heat. There are piles of junk leaning up against many of the smaller buildings, suggesting that the citizens of Mos Eisley do not invest much time or effort in keeping their city clean. Directly ahead as you enter the square can be seen Mos Eisley's main reason for existing - the massive spaceport with its many landing bays. Much of the traffic in the street seems drawn toward the spaceport and the small, run-down Cantina next to it, but there is a small business district to the North where travelers can find supplies and various hard-to-obtain items. Occasionally, local moisture farmers can be seen hauling their water in containers sitting on antigrav sleds or in carts towed by dewbacks, hoping to make a sale. To the South extends the residential district, where those poor fools who live here seek shelter from sun and sand. Every so often, the ground rumbles as the shadow of a ship passes overhead, arriving or departing the busy spaceport. ........................................................................... Mon Dec 02 01:19:12 2493 Darth Vader emerges from the outpost, then stops as he looks around the starlit sprawl. He turns to look down at the pilot. "You may return to the Redoubtable, if you wish. Or remain planetside and take liberty in Mos Eisley. If you choose the latter, however, I caution you to use all due care. This city is thick with cutthroats and mercenaries." "Thank you, Lord Vader," Teal says, suprise evident in her eyes before she bows her head - It isn't every day that Lord Vader himself shows concern for her safety. "I will return to the Redoubtable. There is work to do, training to complete, and a squadron to rebuild. With your leave, Lord Vader..." She awaits her dismissal, helmet still tucked under her arm. Darth Vader slightly inclines his helmet, breather hissing. "Dismissed." Teal, with one last salute, heads towards the spaceport and her ship. Heart pounding. Some time later... Customs - Spaceport - Tatooine ........................................................................... Ostensibly, this area is designated for customs searches to ensure that no illegal substances come in or out of Tatooine. The customs employees, however, are on the payroll of the Hutts, and sit at their stations making no effort to search any of the arrivals or departures except in the rare instances that imperial patrols stop by for an inspection. Most of the time, a wide variety of humans and aliens, most of them dangerous and all of them armed, travel to and from the landing pad unimpeded. The occasional rumble of a ship's engines can be heard over the din of the crowd. ........................................................................... Mon Dec 02 02:09:20 2493 Darth Vader strides into the customs area, cape billowing behind him as he walks, apparently bound for the landing pad. Locastra stands at-ease, arms behind his back in 'parade-rest' fashion in the middle of the inspection area. Members of the Armored Cav along with Stormtroopers inspect packages from pilots, speaking to civilians or are guarding or marching about the highly secure area. He sees Lord Vader, and snaps to a formal attention, and salutes him. Darth Vader stops upon encountering Locastra. "Has Moff Saati returned with my shuttle?" Locastra says, "No, My Lord." Locastra pauses for a moment, then says "My Lord, I have come to answer for myself." "I see," the Dark Lord replies. "Answers would be quite useful, Colonel, given the implications of Captain Bannik's report." Locastra nods "Yes sir. I had requested clearance from Imperial Command to be allowed to return to Coruscant after the events here to be able to go on a short vacation to recoop my thoughts and self. Cooper was hired to be my pilot, who is a good pilot, but very stupid. My brother, Veb, tried to explain his place so he may be released and was also arrested. Cooper was given a uniform to wear by myself to keep up a shroud of Imperial dominance wherever I went. I refuse to use Imperial anything in my personal matters. And I felt that civilian help among an Imperial Officer, even a Colonel, may show a weak side in us, and I refuse to be seen as anything weak, nor do i wish the Empire to be seen in any light, save excellence. My Lord, this matter is purely my fault, and I proudly accept any punishment given to me for these actions, sir." "You enlisted a civilian, untrained in the Imperial military, without proper clearances," Vader intones, pointing a gauntleted finger at Locastra. "You gave him a uniform in an effort to deceive others, and encouraged similar traitorous actions by your brother. Place yourself under house arrest in the garrison, Colonel Locastra, while I ponder how best to deal with you." Locastra says, "My Lord, I would like clearance to go and recover two of our men from the Wastelands who were lost in the action yesterday." He hands his blasters to a nearby Stormtrooper, guard up. "Denied," Vader replies. "They are no longer on the planet. They were on the shuttle with the escaping Jedi." Locastra says, "I understand, My Lord, that this shuttle was found destroyed." "Moff Saati's stolen shuttle was found destroyed," Vader corrects. "A second shuttle was stolen from this spaceport, and escaped capture earlier today. Now, do you wish to further question my directives?" Locastra says, "My Lord, I wish beyond anything to protect your directives, not question them." Locastra said to his reflection, staring back from the glare in Vader's mask. "My brother has the same wishes, as well. Cooper, well.....he's just an idiot." He pauses, taking a slow breath, then nods. "I wish to simply be a use to the Empire, My Lord, a tool to be used to purge these rebels." He pauses, then saltues Lord Vader "I shall await your response from the Garrison, My Lord."" Darth Vader regards Locastra in silence, his reddish-black visor "eyes" reflecting the colonel. But he says nothing further. He turns, cape flaring, and walks toward the docking bay. Meanwhile, on Coruscant... Throne Room - Coruscant A sunken auditorium forms a well in the shadows of this large chamber, the throne room where Emperor Palpatine receives his honored guests. A ring of lights shines down from the rotunda to illuminate the raised throne of gray-green stone with its high arched back. Within the ring of lights in the rotunda glows a shifting holograpic kaleidescope - an ever-changing sculpture of light and color. Mon Dec 02 00:39:46 2493 Palpatine sits atop his throne, hands like claws clutching the armrests. His crimson-armored guards stand on either side, force pikes held upright. Illuminated in his shaft of light, the Emperor awaits the Moff's arrival. Saati passes through the door, her stride determined as she heads towards the dais. Reaching it, she kneels down on one knee, "Master. I come with urgent news and a message from Lord Vader." She waits to be addressed before standing. "If the news is that you have allowed the Jedi to slip through your fingers," the Emperor rasps, leaning forward, face lost in the shadows of his hood, "then I assure you, it has not escaped my attention." Standing, Moff Saati shakes her head, "No, Master. I do not doubt that you are aware of that occurance. Our news however is more urgent. During our attack, Master Kenobi kidnapped a member of my platoon, a Sergeant Mizael. It became clear to me then that this Mizael is sensitive to the Force and has potential. That Masters Kenobi and Yoda would go out of their way to kidnap him suggests their motives clearly." "You think a sergeant of the Imperial military can easily be turned against us?" the Emperor inquires. Saati sighs a bit, "I spent some time with Mizael. He is loyal to the Empire. Before they departed I attempted to leave an impression in his mind of that loyalty and what he must do to resist the Jedi. However I do not believe we can take the chance that he is turned, Master." "Indeed, we cannot," the Emperor replies. He leans back into the shaft of light, his yellow eyes gleaming as he regards the apprentice. "What of the pilot?" "A Sub-Lieutenant named Roga, Master." She tilts her head a bit, "I ... did not sense any motive concerning him. I believe he was simply unfortunate enough to be the pilot. As for his loyalty, I have not received a report from our political officer on the Redoubtable as yet." "I will order a search for this elusive shuttle," Palpatine says, hissing through his yellowed teeth as he grimaces. "If it is found, and the pilot or his corpse are not found with it, then we can assume that he too has been turned." He then gestures at Saati with gnarled fingers. "What of Lord Vader's message?" Saati nods, "He wished to express that his search for the Jedi will be relentless. I assume he intends on leaving Tatooine as soon as he is able." Pushing himself up with his talon-like fingers, Palpatine stands upon his pedestal and stares down at Saati. "As will you, my apprentice. I have new plans for you. But first...you must be made to understand that I will not tolerate another failure of this magnitude." His gnarled hands rise slowly, the fingers angled down toward the Moff. Saati's head lowers, bowing slightly at the waist. Perhaps she knows what is to come, in any case she appears to accept it. "As you will, Master." Blue tendrils of energy spark from the pale fingertips of the Emperor's hands, snapping down and wrapping around the Moff in their crackling fury. His teeth and eyes gleam in the reflected glow of the force lightning. The Moff falls to the floor on her side, curling up as she writhes in misery. She does not scream out though and soon her squirming stops as she channels her pain into a sort of willful defiance and anger. Anger towards those who put her in this position. Ben. Yoda. Mizael. Vader. Tuskens. Palpatine relents after a minute or so, leaving the slightly smoldering Moff in a fetal position on the floor as he settles back into his throne. "On your feet," he snarls, fairly spitting the next word, "apprentice." The woman slowly comes to her feet, her teeth still clenched in pain while wisps of smoke rise about her. "The Galactic Empire is assuming oversight of the Corporate Sector Authority," the Emperor explains. "We have seen no progress in their investigation of the attack on the Diktat. *You* will take personal charge of the CSA, as my duly appointed representative." Saati arches a brow at the appointment, "This will take me far afield of the search for the Jedi, Master." She appears curious, perhaps not expecting it. "I am well aware of the logistical sitation created by this order," Palpatine hisses. "That does not change the inherent nature of the statement." The Moff's brow furrows slightly as she thinks, "As you command, Master. I will ... depart at once for Etti IV." The Emperor leans back in his throne, gnarled fingers clutching the armrests, his face lost in the shadow cast by the hood and the shaft of light. Saati bows again at the waist before turning and departing the Imperial presence, her questions left unanswered. category:Reach of the Empire Logs